For Marina Koltsova and her colleagues, the Russian Republic of Chechnya is a kind of no-go area, a blank spot on the map. “As a matter of principle, we are not allowed to conduct seminars in the northern Caucasus region, simply because we bear such a stigma,” Koltsova, a lawyer for the renowned Moscow-based human rights organization “Memorial,” told DW. “Government bodies at all levels have been telling us frankly that we have been categorized as foreign agents — that means spies — and that they are unable to collaborate with us.” Authorities had been alerted by word of mouth, or even in writing, she said.
Deutsche Welle: NGOs in Russia – battered, but unbowed
A woman crosses a bridge near the Kremlin tower in central Moscow on Oct. 28, 2017.
